1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic focusing control technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera includes a technique for performing an automatic focusing (AF) operation (also referred to as “contrast AF”) by using a contrast method on the basis of an image signal obtained from an image sensor. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-227080, a technique which identifies a face (a face area) of a subject in an image capturing screen and performs the contrast AF on the basis of the image signal in a distance measuring area including the face of the subject is described.
After a predetermined operation such as a half-pressing operation of a release button is detected, in a continuous AF mode in which focus adjustment is repeatedly performed, if a predetermined operation is performed using the face of the subject as a focusing target, a tracking AF operation in which the face of the subject used as the focusing target is tracked and a state in which the face of the subject is focused is continued is performed.
On the other hand, in digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) which have spread rapidly in recent years, an AF method of a phase difference detection method (hereinafter also referred to as “phase difference AF”) is employed as an AF method. In the phase difference AF, a focus position of a focus lens is calculated on the basis of light from a subject in the distance measuring area set in an angle of view, which is an image capturing area.